Reunion
by Pink Skittles
Summary: "Leave Altaïr! I don't want to see you again!" was the last thing Malik had said to Altaïr. But when Altaïr goes missing, and Malik hears rumors of an assassin's death, he regrets his words.


"Leave Altaïr!"

"But Malik-" Altaïr tried to apologize

"Out Novice!"

Altaïr looked at him apologetically "Please, if you would just-"

"NOW!" Malik yelled

Altaïr sighed "Alright, I'll leave." He walked over to the wall he'd climb "I'll come back later when you're not in such a bad mood."

"Don't bother! I don't want to see you again!" Malik yelled from the other room.

Altaïr silently climbed the wall and left. Malik's last statement had hurt him.

Malik looked at the mess on his desk. Ink and ash were everywhere. "Damn Novice," Malik mumbled as he started to clean. Altaïr had been reaching for a piece of fruit when he had knocked over the ink pot spilling it. Then in his haste to move stuff out of the way of the spreading ink, he'd knocked the incense burner over too, getting ash everywhere. Including on a map Malik had spent all morning on.

By the time Malik got the mess cleaned up, it was late afternoon. Malik left the bureau to buy something to eat. As he walked through the market, he noticed there were an unusually high amount of Crusaders walking the streets. By the time Malik had bought what he wanted, the sky had filled with dark storm clouds causing it to get prematurely dark. Malik hurried back to the bureau as the wind picked up and distant rumbles of thunder grew closer. Malik got to the bureau just as the first raindrops started falling. A few minutes later it was pouring. The storm intensified as Malik ate. He began to wonder where Altaïr was. He got up and looked up at the sky though the open hatch. The wind howled ominously as lightning split the sky and thunder rumbled deep and low, rattling the bottles on the shelves behind Malik's desk. Was that Novice still out in this? He thought of closing the hatch, and have Altaïr plead to be let in, but he decided to leave it open. Malik walked back and sat down to finish eating, half expecting Altaïr to drop in soaked and shivering. The storm eventually died down, but Altaïr hadn't shown up yet. He must have found shelter elsewhere. Malik was tired so he went to his quarters and got undressed and laid down on the bed. He soon fell asleep to sound of the lingering rain.

Malik was awakened by bright sunshine the next morning. He got up and started to get everything ready for the day. Then he saw a pair of boots sitting next to the cushions. So, the Novice had finally showed up. Malik walked in and was about to ask what he was doing here, when he noticed the sleeping assassin had grey sleeves. It wasn't Altaïr. Malik left the novice assassin alone and went back to his desk to continue working on the map from yesterday. He dipped the quill in the ink pot and drew a line, but the quill hadn't left a mark. Malik set the quill down and picked up the ink pot, looking in it. It was empty. Malik couldn't think why it was empty, but then he remembered. Altaïr had caused it to spill. Malik sat the ink pot down and growled. Because of that damn Novice, he'd have to go get another one. He nudged the sleeping novice who woke with a start.

"I'm sorry dai! I just wanted somewhere where I could dry off and sleep for a while! I was unable to sleep last night because of the storm!" The novice quickly said

Malik raised his hand and tried to calm the novice "That is fine. Rest here as long as you need, but I am going out for a while."

The novice relaxed and nodded then laid back down on the cushions as Malik left.

Malik noticed, as he walked though the market, there were still a lot of Crusaders around. Malik sat down a bench to rest for a moment after he bought his ink. A group of three Crusaders stood nearby. Malik listened in on their conversation.

"That was some storm last night." One said

"Yeah. I'm glad we managed to to keep the horses from bolting." The second said

"Well at least I had some entertainment," said the third.

"You? You were out in the woods lost somewhere!" The first said

"Yeah, what could you have found out there!" The second laughed

The third Crusader glared at his companions. "If you'd give me a chance, I'll tell you!" The other two calmed down "I was by a river,or at least it looked like one, when I heard someone yell. It was an Assassin being swept downstream. It was quite amusing watching him struggle."

"That was it?" The second one asked. The third one nodded. "Bah!" The second waved his hand dismissively and walked off.

"So you saw him drown?" The first said

"No, but I guess he did. It didn't look like he could swim very well, if he could at all."

"And I thought you had something good," the first one said and walked off.

Malik got up and quickly walked away. He tried not to think of what he'd just heard.

Malik returned to the bureau. The novice was still there sleeping. He must have been up all night. Malik set the ink on the desk and tried to focus on finishing the map but his thoughts kept going back to what the Crusader had said. An assassin, who might not have been able to swim, was swept down a storm swollen river and might have drowned. What if that had been Altaïr? He shook that thought away. No, Altaïr wasn't that foolish. The Novice hated water so why would he be near a river during a storm? He went back to his map. A few hours later the novice that had been sleeping walked in.

"Good afternoon," Malik said with a hint of sarcasm.

The novice yawned "Oh, yes. I'm sorry for just dropping in, but you see, last night's storm turned a local stream into a river which caused the bridge I was crossing to collapse. I had quite a time trying to get back out. I thought I was going to drown. I couldn't sleep because I was so cold and soaked, so I came here and dried off and laid down early this morning." That eased Malik's fears a little. This novice might have been the assassin the Crusader saw. "I should go try to find my missing equipment. Thank you for allowing me to stay." Then the novice left.

As Malik made his lunch he thought of Altaïr. Maybe he was too hard on him yesterday. The afternoon passed quietly as did the evening. Malik sighed as he went to bed that night. He now regretted telling Altaïr not to come back. The next few days were uneventful aside from the idle chatter and rumors he overheard from the Crusaders that still saturated the streets. Malik sat in the bureau idly doodling when he heard someone drop in. He looked up hoping it was Altaïr, but it was just a novice there for his assignment. Malik gave it to him and the novice turned to leave but Malik stopped him. "Have you seen Altaïr recently?"

"No, I haven't." He thought for a moment, "Actually, I don't think anyone has."

"I see." After the novice left, Malik took a walk, mainly to think. As he aimlessly walked the streets, he heard the end of a conversation from a group of passing Crusaders.

"You killed him?"

"Yes, What else was I suppose to do? The bastard tried to take my arm off!"

"I say the less of them the better!"

Malik stopped and watched them walk away contemplating whether or not he should confront them and ask who he'd killed.

"I don't like them here either."

Malik turned around. A merchant stood there with his arms crossed.

"Do you know why they're here?" Malik asked

"No, I just know I want them to leave." The merchant replied and turned to leave.

"Wait. Have you seen a man in a white hood?"

"I see lots of hooded men. Many of them are in white."

"This one, he has gold eyes, a scar on the right side of his mouth, and is missing his left ring finger."

"Ah, yes, I remember him. It was several days ago. He was rather dirty, with spots of ink and ash all over his clothes. I almost thought he was a beggar, but he bought some of my fruit then asked where he could clean up. I directed him to a local stream. However, had I seen that storm building, I wouldn't have. That stream is notorious for flash-flooding when it storms."

Malik suddenly became worried again. He now had a reason for Altaïr to be near the water and possibly during the storm. "Where is it?"

"That was several days ago, he's not still going to be there. And if he is..."

"Just tell me where it is!" Malik grabbed the merchant's collar.

"Four miles northwest of here. It's hidden in a grove of trees. Now please let me go!" Malik did so and the merchant hurried away.

Malik went to the stables, got a horse, and rode to where the merchant told him. He dismounted and tied the horse to one of the trees. He walked though the dense trees and found the stream, which was still flowing outside of its banks from the look of it. He looked around to see if he could find any trace, that hadn't been washed away, that Altaïr had been there. He wasn't finding anything, but then something near the water's edge, mostly covered by debris, glinted in the sun that shone through the leaves. Malik walked over and uncovered it. It was Altaïr's sword and short sword. Altaïr wouldn't just leave his weapons lying out here like this. He prized them. Especially his sword with its winged cross guard and eagle-head pommel. Malik sadly picked them up and walked back to his horse. Now he wished he hadn't come out here. It had only given credence to his fears.

Malik rode back to the city, then returned to the bureau with Altaïr's weapons. He laid them on a shelf intending to clean them later, But he couldn't. Every time he looked at them, he was reminded of how much of a fool he'd been for telling Altaïr not to come back. Eventually, they were moved to a high shelf where Malik didn't have to look at them all the time.

It had been a week and a half since Altaïr's disappearance. Malik sat in the bureau idly scratching away at a piece of parchment with his quill listening to the steady rain that was falling outside. He heard someone drop in. "What do you want?" He said with out looking up from his scratchings. The assassin walked in the room and just stood there. Annoyed that he hadn't gotten a response, Malik threw his quill down and angrily looked up. His anger quickly evaporated when he saw who was there. "Alt...Altaïr?"

"Aren't you going to ask, 'why are you here?' or are you just going to tell me to leave again?" He said coldly

Malik got up and ran to Altaïr wrapping his arm around him. "I'm sorry! I was blinded by anger when I said that." Malik clung tightly to Altaïr afraid he'd vanish like morning fog if he let go. "When you didn't come back I began to worry. I heard stories, and no one had seen you, and then when I found your weapons next to a flooded stream, I thought you were dead! Because of what I had said to you!" Malik sobbed into Altaïr's shoulder.

Altaïr wrapped his arms around Malik comforting him, leaned in close and whispered in his ear, "Shhh. You needn't worry anymore. I'm here, alive and well."

Malik raised his head and looked at Altaïr "So you forgive me for what I said?"

Altaïr smiled "I just did."


End file.
